Adjudicating the Shadow
by Magi Tail Welkin
Summary: The Dark Lord of Mordor is defeated. But he still requires to be charged for his crimes. The Valar shall judge. It is a question of what the accused shall say in his defence.


She took her keys and felt her way to the cell door, the tap of her hands against the metal echoed through the room.

Lord Mandos told her it would happen today. Her duty for the last, how long? Days? Weeks? Months? She did not have a good grasp of time; it would be finished. She guarded a dangerous figure, yet since his detainment he remained quite silent, unlike the prisoner's former master. When her Lord out her in charge of guarding him, _Hoa nyere! _He would not shut up.

Thankfully, she could not be persuaded, she could hear a lie from miles away and she possessed a special sense for danger. For example, she and the prisoner used to be friends, mainly out of their shared brief in order and methodical thinking, in line with their ealar, their core concepts. His, "Order, Refinement, Willpower." Hers, "Correctness, Method, Adherences." But slowly his obsession for order consumed him. She encountered him less and less as he dedicated himself to his work, refining the world as his master, Lord Aule commanded. Being one of the most powerful of Maia he felt he needed to put his power to good use. They crossed paths, but his did not seem himself, different, more somehow, added to, and dangerous. He did not seem so concerned with crafting, more observing his follow Ainur.

Then he declared himself a Servant of Melkor Morgoth. And her friend, Mairon, would become better known as Sauron.

She stayed in Valinor, questioning when her friend turned. The First War? Probably, the Balrogs swore allegiance to him then as well. While she stayed and silently patrolled the Halls of Mandos, she learned of what this Second Dark Lord did throughout the remaining Years of the Trees and the first three Ages of the World.

But with the destruction of his Master Ring of Power, Sauron's power unravelled, and his corporeal power in Middle-earth came to an end. His spirit towered above Mordor like a black cloud but got blown away by a powerful wind from the West. Sauron now permanently crippled, would never to rise again. And so, the Third Age ended, and the Fourth began.

And so as well, she unlocked the cell door and approached the prisoner. The wind which blew him away from Mordor also ensnared him and brought him home to face judgement. And she would be responsible for getting him there.

She heard the chains clink and finally he spoke, "Tiraina?"

"You have the right to remain slight. Anything you do say may be taken down as evidence," there came a sigh. "I see. It's not as if I don't deserve this treatment,"

Tiraina paused as she rearranged the shackles. Sauron did not behave expectantly. She would have need to be careful, who knows what he could be planning.

Silently she escorted him to the central hall.

Sauron cleared his throat. "Do you really need the blindfold? You always had such lovely eyes," she felt herself wanting to blush, but she supressed this, it would not be proper for a stern guardswoman to blush towards a prisoner's flattery. "Remember, for you might have forgotten in the ages you spent away from us, that I have no use of my eyes, they are as marred as the World is," this caused Sauron to sigh again, she heard both frustration and disappointment in it. He began to mutter something but stopped and remained silent again for the rest of the journey.

The breath of wind from the opening of large door brushed against her face as they both entered the main hall of the Halls of Mandos. And from the presences she felt, she knew where to stop, to place the prisoner and where to turn in addressment.

Before them sat enthroned the fourteen Valar. King Manwe and Queen Varda sat in the centre. To Manwe's right sat Lord Mandos and his wife, Lady Vaire the Weaver, who's tapestries of history Tiraina often brushed up against and felt in her patrols of the halls. Lord Aule, Sauron's original master, sat on Varda's left with his wife, Lady Yavanna. And branching out from these central six sat the remaining eight in a more random order.

Behind her Tiraina could feel the presence of almost every Maia, and indeed, the spirits of those victimised by the Second Dark Lord, Elven, Dwarven and Man, including the occasional Hobbit yet to be judged by Lord Mandos. Without vision she instead focused on the unseen forms of those around her, which everything with a spirit, ealar or fea, possessed in some way, shape or form. Sauron for example currently lacked a corporeal form, but the effects of Valinor allow him some measure of visibility to those who reside within it. Weakened as he appeared, she could not tell of his movement, he just appeared as a detail picture of himself, so she relied on the movements on the numerous lengths of chains in her hands to tell the positions of his body.

As for his actual appearance, she could discern far more. Covered in scars, most notably the puncture wounds on his neck and shoulder he sustained from Huan, one of Lord Orome the Hunter's wolfhounds who the people of Middle-earth called Hound of Valinor. His complexion lost its once grand vigour and he now looked as a corpse. Even his build looked greatly diminished, and though his muscles were as toned as ever, they were greatly reduced in size. Indeed he seemed a lot shorter than when she last saw him, he towered over her before, now they seemed of equal height.

The thoughts of how Sauron gain his scars by way of Huan turned her attention towards two Maiar within the crowd who earlier caught her attention above all the others present.

First, Olorin, better known as Gandalf, formerly the Grey, but currently the White, and as far as she could tell, the only Istari to return from Middle-earth. Curumo got corrupted and banished from the Uttermost West, Aiwendil wanted to help preserve the creations of Yavanna before returning, and as for the two Blue Wizards, one a servant of Lord Orome, and the other this servant's good friend, and thus Tiraina did not know their names, they disappeared into the East of Middle-earth.

She knew of Olorin specifically, for Mairon introduced her to him long before his betrayal, for they were in fact considered brothers in the eyes of Eru Illuvatar, much in the same way The One considered Manwe and Melkor brothers. And Tiraina would never argue with her creator, an omnipotent being, it would not be right.

Her focus quickly shifted to the second Maia, one more important to her personally and one connected to how Sauron attained his infamous wounds. Her younger sister, Melian, making Tiraina a distant aunt of Lord Elrond, who would be no doubt a witness sworn in against Sauron, his twin sons who currently remained in Imladris and High King Elessar and Queen Arwen of the Reunited Kingdom.

Melian fell in love with the Elven King Thingol, became his queen in Doriath and the only known Ainu to convince a child with one of the Children of Illuvatar. The daughter of this union, Luthien fell in love with a man named Beren, becoming the greatest lovers in the history of Middle-earth, famously managing to rescue a Silmaril, one of the three gems with the Light of Valinor from the Two Trees, from the crown of Melkor, for the First Dark Lord stole them from their creator.

Beren, with King Finrod Felagund of Nargothrond, eldest brother of Lady Galadriel of Lothlorien, a wise, just and powerful Elf, and a great traveller himself, and ten other elven companions went in secret to Melkor's fortress of Angband. During the journey they disguised themselves as Orcs, but Sauron espied them as they entered the vale between Ered Wethrin and Taur-nu-Fuin, as he commanded the pass at the time from his fortress of Tol-in-Gaurhoth, the Isle of Werewolves. He quickly became suspicious as Orcs passing were supposed to report to him.

He captured them, stripped them of their Orc disguise but failed to discern who their identities. He threw them into a dark pit where one by one a werewolf devoured them. Withstanding this horror, they refused to betray one another.

Eventually only Finrod and Beren remained alive in Sauron's pit. When a werewolf went to attack Beren, Finrod used all his power to defeat it, successfully, but in doing so becoming critically wounded and soon passed away. In this dark moment, Luthien came to the bridge of Tol-in-Gaurhoth and sang. From his tower of Sauron saw her and recognised her as the famous daughter of Melian and Thingol. He desired to capture her and hand her over to Melkor. Therefore, he sent a wolf to the bridge, but it got quickly and silently slain by Huan. He sent many more and each one Huan killed. Finally, he sent Draugluin, sire of the werewolves of Angband. The fight between Huan and Draugluin proved fierce, but eventually Draugluin fled and, before dying, he told his master of Huan's presence. So, Sauron took the form of a werewolf himself, the greatest the World ever saw, and went towards the bridge. Appearing so might in terror as his approach, even Huan momentarily recoiled. Sauron leaped to attack Luthien, but she drew her magic veil over his eyes afflicting him with fatigue and blindness, then Huan sprang upon Sauron and there they fought. The force of Sauron's malice alone left Luthien weak and nearly unconscious, and the fighting became brutal and prolonged; however, he could not subdue the hound of Valinor. He became trapped within Huan's jaws and could not break free, even when he took the form of a serpent and finally his own shape. Rather than leave his physical form, he yielded to Luthien, giving her control of the isle in return for his release. He then took the form of a vampire and fled to Taur-nu-Fuin, filling the forest with horror.

Sadly, though successful in the quest and its consequences eventually led to the initial deaths of the lovers.

Their spirits gathered in the Halls of Mandos in the Uttermost West, and there Luthien sang a song of such extraordinary power and beauty it moved even the implacable heart of Lord Mandos himself. So, Tiraina's lord granted her a unique fate, to become mortal and return to Middle-earth with Beren, where they dwelt for a time in happiness on the green island of Tol Galen in the River Adurant.

Meanwhile, the Silmaril proved the doom of Thingol, for he wished to combine it with a great Dwarven necklace, making a great symbol for the friendship between Elves and Dwarves. However, the Dwarves of the Blue Mountains, hired to do this tasked coveted the completed jewellery as payment because of its importance to the Dwarves, but Thingol, seeing they wanted the Silmaril, which he viewed as the rightful prize of his daughter and son-in-law refused, and tried to send them off without payment. Infuriated the Dwarves slew Thingol and took the artefact from themselves. This led to the sacking of Menegroth, Thingol's capital and the eventual destruction of Doriath, which scattered its people. The Silmaril swapped between the Elves of Doriath and the Dwarves of Nogrod until finally became an heirloom of Luthien.

The actions of both sides would lead to continuous tensions between Elves and Dwarves, the opposite of Thingol's intentions.

Melian saddened by the loss of her husband and the unknown fate the Gift of Men placed on Luthien, mournfully returned to Valinor.

The romance of Beren and Luthien produced a Half-elf son, Dior, who married his second cousin once removed, the Sindarin elf-maid Nimloth and produced two sons and a daughter, Elwing, who married another Half-elf, Earendil the Mariner, the son of the hero of Men, Tuor and a grandson of King Turgon of Gondolin. They themselves bore twin Half-elven sons, Elrond and Elros. This second generation of Half-elves took the retrieved Silmaril to Valinor to convince Ainur into defeat Melkor once and for all. The Valar agreed and the War of Wrath began, and ragged for forty-two years, the devastation of this war caused the destruction of much of the northern region of Middle-earth called Beleriand, leaving only the Blue Mountains and the land of Lindon to remain forevermore.

In the aftermath of the war, the Half-elven were given a choice by Lord Mandos, to either choose to become fully Elven, or fully Man. Earendil wanted to become a Man, but for the sake of his wife, choose to become an Elf. Earendil and Elwing were ordered to settle in Valinor and never leave to return to Middle-earth. With the Silmaril set upon his brow, Earendil in his ship, blessed by the Valar, would sail the heavens. The light of the Silmaril appeared to the people of Middle-earth as a star, often shining at sunrise or sunset in the West.

Elrond choose the fate of the Elves. He would become a healer and lore-master under High King Gil-galad and later founded the settlement of Imladris, or Rivendell in the current Common Tongue of Men.

Only Elros chose to become a Man and would become the first King of Numenor. Later his descendants would argue Earendil's fate in a message to the Valar in the hopes of gaining immortality. However, the Valar replied saying Earendil ultimately chose to be an Elf, while Elros chose to be a Man.

Tiraina herself fought in the War of Wrath, to avenge the crimes Melkor and his minions committed against her family. Though blinded by the first discord of Melkor during the Music of the Ainur, her sense of danger, her ability to tell impropriety, and skill as a guardswoman of Mandos helped her defeating the forces of the First Dark Lord.

In the ongoing battle she encountered a host commanded by Sauron. She fought her way through the Orcs and corrupted men before she and other allied Maiar including Eonwe, the herald of King Manwe subdued him. Sauron initially surrendered and asked for mercy, but Eonwe ordered him to return with them to Valinor and face judgement, to which Sauron fled and hid deep in Middle-earth.

Tiraina would have spoken for leniency towards her old friend if he simply submitted to the Valar. But since he chose to flee and continued his malice. The Flame Unperishable did give Sauron the freedom to make such a choice, but any true definition of freedom, includes the freedom to take the consequences, and Tiraina would make sure he did so.

She returned her attention of the Valar. "My Lords, my Ladies," he she bowed her head and continued, "as instructed I have brought forth the prisoner, Mairon, formerly a servant of Lord Aule, also known as Sauron, the servant of Melkor,"

Manwe spoke with soft, kind voice, "Thank you, Tiraina. Please remain in guard," she nodded and took her guarding position, holding onto the many length of chains restraining the prisoner.

Lord Mandos started proceedings, his voice soothing, but deep with tremors and foreboding, "Mairon of the Maiar. You are charged with numerous crimes against the Ainur and the Free Peoples of Middle-earth across several eras.

"To begin with, spying on your peers and superiors and the betrayal of your liege during the Years of the Trees. In the First Age, the kidnapping, breaking of your word towards the Man named Golim and his subsequent murder, instigating the Massacre at Tarn Aeluin, resulting in the death of Barahir the Bold and his ten companions, the death of King Finrod of the Noldor and ten of his companions.

"Your crimes in the Second Age included the deceit of the Elves of Eregion, declaring war on the Elves, deceiving the Dwarf Lords, resulting in their conflicts with the dragons, deceiving and corrupting nine Men into your personal servants, the Nazgul, misguiding the Men of Numenor resulting in the direct involvement of Eru Illuvatar in the destruction of that fair isle, persistent in your hatred of the Men of the West, and the House of Elros specifically, you engaged yourself into the War of the Last Alliance, killing both High Kings Gil-galad of the Noldor and Elendil of Arnor and Gondor, only to be defeated yourself at the hand of Isildur, son of Elendil.

"In the Third Age you corrupted the Greenwood into the Mirkwood, while your servants in Angmar destroyed the Kingdom of Arnor, your continued to hunt the descendants of Elros would lead to the death of Arathorn of the Dunedain, you corrupted Curumo, also known as Saruman the White, first head of the Istari of Wizards, another servant of Aule, and by all accounts your friend and peer before your open fealty to Melkor, the capture and torture of the Hobbit Smeagol, known then even unto himself as Gollum and the attempted murder of the Ringbearer Frodo Baggins.

"No doubt your crimes against the continent of Endor, better known as Middle-earth, are far more numerous, for only Eru knows the full extent of them. The death toll is beyond counting. These lives were squandered in the course of a vicious and diabolic campaign to gain control of Middle-earth and ultimately war against Valinor. It was a highly organised endeavour with an utterly callous disregard of the lives of the Children of Illuvatar involved and for the liberty of all the other races of Middle-earth, which the accused would have dominated with his tyranny. In the pursuit of this campaign brutal methods of torture, mental corruption, control, and breeding were used, which entirely contravenes the laws of the Ainur,"

Tiraina remained quiet. A trial by the Valar rarely happened due to their policy of non-interference in the affairs of the Children of Illuvatar after the War of Wrath. Indeed, the only ones to occur were to the two trials of Melkor, one in the Years of the Trees, which the First Dark Lord escaped from by feigning repentance, the other after his defeat in the War of Wrath ultimately leading to his banishment to Timeless Void beyond Creation. And most likely where Sauron would be sent to.

Lord Mandos readdressed the prisoner. "In regard to these accusations brought before you by this court, how do you plead? Guilty or Not Guilty,"

Sauron shifted slightly. By the way his many chain moved, the prisoner hung his head in shame. He uttered a single word, "Guilty,"

A wave of shock and surprise flooded the hall. Everyone, from Man to Vala gasped and murmured in pure amazement. All the Powers of Arda briefly glanced at each other, no doubt communicating between themselves at this revelation. Orome the Huntsman, one who delights himself in hunting monsters and evil creatures, asked the pressing question, "You do in fact admit to these actions?"

Tiraina felt the chains shift as Sauron took a more confident and prouder stance.

"I not only admit them," he declared, "I am proud of them!" the uproar of protests, sighs and groan almost echoed the discords of Melkor eons before. Manwe held up his hand and they all stopped. "The prisoner shall explain himself,"

Sauron nodded. "While you have been content to sit and wait for the eventual reformation of the World, I have been actively preparing for it,"

"It is not we who are on trial, Sauron," replied Ulmo, Lord of the Waters, "it is you,"

"No, no, of course, all of you are above criticism, aren't you?" it sounded more like a statement than a question. More groans emitted from the gathered.

Lady Nienne asked next, "Are you suggesting that these actions were justified?"

"Yes, of course I do!" Sauron replied. "Allow me a thought commune and I shall explain my reasoning,"

As angelic beings with the ability to communicate through thought, strictly speaking the Ainur have no need for a spoken language, only when interaction with the Elves began did, they speak. The language, Valarin sounded extremely alien to the ears of the Elves, sometimes to the point of genuine displeasure, so instead the Ainur adopted Quenya when speaking with Elves, or even when talking to another Ainu while Elves stood present. Tiraina could only imagine what the trial sounded to the like of Men, Dwarves and Hobbits.

The Valar looked at each other briefly, Mandos nodded and they returned their gaze to Sauron. The prisoner took a deep breath as evident by the strain of the torso chain.

Memories of ages past entered everyone's minds.

* * *

At first the Music in the time before time within the Timeless Halls of Illuvatar.

After being taught, Mairon sung with his small group, Olorin within it, observing and learning from others. Eventually, Eru brought them all together and told them of the great composition, the grandest of all songs, made up of the individual songs of each spirit, their thoughts, visions, and free wills, which the Flame Unperishable granted them. Mairon sung in harmony with his peers. But then Melkor added faults and dissonance.

Eru stopped the first song. After a momentary consideration the One smiled and with a raise of His left hand, started the second song, alike but unlike the first, growing in beauty, refining, to which Mairon smiled and sung loader for his will must have been helping. But then, the discourse arose once more, and grew loader. Manwe began to sing counter to Melkor, but the mightier Ainu engulfed the cords.

Once again, Eru stopped the song. The Great One appeared different in reaction to the aftermath of the first song. Here Illuvatar expressed pensiveness and sternness. Mairon considered this briefly. Did Eru dislike what Melkor did? Surely an omnipotent being would know what its creation would do. So why did He not stop it? Melkor seemed determined to ruin the great composition.

Before Mairon could get any chance to voice these concerns, Illuvatar's right hand lifted to signal the start of the third song. Indeed, the third song began within the confusion of the second, and Illuvatar appeared to endorse it.

The Third Theme sounded unlike the others before it. Like the rippling of soft and sweet notes. It gained power and depth over time, until two completely different songs were being made. One filled with immeasurable sorrow, which gave it tremendous beauty, while the other was a loud, pompous theme playing repeatedly in violent opposition to it. Reluctantly despite its sorrows, Mairon gave his voice to the deep and wide and beautiful one in the hopes to drown out the vanity of the other. The repetitive theme could not overcome the sorrowful one, and the latter merely took the former's greatest notes and wove them into its own solemn pattern. The strife between the two themes caused the dwelling of Illuvatar and even the Void beyond it to shake. At this point, Eru stood once more and raised both his arms, and in one chord, deeper than the endless Abyss below his halls, higher than the firmament and piercing as the light in the One's eyes, the music ceased.

Standing once more, Eru explained the vast extent of the Theme and what would occur should discord emerge from it, as Melkor intended. He gave them all his vision of the World and what every one of them did in its formation. Much to Mairon's dismay, Melkor contributed, for Illuvatar proclaimed this a part of his master plan.

Mairon could not believe it. A prefect being planned to create an imperfect world. Though, he reasoned, aside from Eru, nothing prefect should exist. If something is truly prefect, that would be it, no room for imagination, no space for intelligence, ability or improvement. And at the thought of improvement he understood his challenge, he would reach out, exceed his grasp towards something which in the end he may have to admit is unreachable. He would repair the corruption of Creation.

The vision changed. To of one single craftsman among many working anyway at his tools of trade. Studying further under Aule the Smith to refine his own skill in the hopes of goals to heal the World of the infection Melkor wrought unto it, he saw himself briefly in the great vision of the future continuing to work refining the World and attempting to bring order to it. In the corner of his eyes, he saw Melkor standing and observing, perhaps the greatest of the Ainur heard of Mairon's goals and came to see if it could be achieved, he did appear quite impressed.

But soon, the vision of the future stopped, and the World began to form from it truly. Illuvatar sent the Secret Fire into Creation. Time began and so did the World. Ainur went out among Creation to govern aspects of it and create lesser world of their own. The One gave a Primeval Light to Lady Varda, who place in the centre of Arda, the realm of the Valar and plane of the World, Ambar. Varda tasked a Maia-maiden to protect and guide the light of the Sun, this Maia would be called Arien, the Maiden of Sunlight.

Aule left to join Manwe and Ulmo in shaping the World. His master sent word to his students about what he needed. Mairon did as instructed, but he also sent suggestions on improvements, no comment returned, just more work, and plenty, for Melkor followed and disrupted their work, until they named him King of the Ainur and Lord of the World, when they refused Melkor warred with them for over fourteen thousand years beneath the Sun and marred the World further.

Maiar who joined Melkor in both the Second and Third Theme joined him in this First War, among them were fire spirits, akin to Arien, somehow, they became the Balrogs. And Melkor intended to claim more. He desired the Primeval Light placed in the Sun, thinking it a link to the Flame Imperishable. So, he offered her to make her his spouse and to share this gift with him, but she refused and afterwards he ravished her so great, some say that her spirit left Creation altogether and the Light set in the Sun left it, and too left without a guide, caused uneven seasons and periods of excessive heat or cold in Arda.

Afterwards, however, Melkor became scorched and black, and as he desired light before, now he desired only darkness, and the light hurt him.

The Valar somehow managed to capture some of that Primeval, and untainted, Light into the form of the Two Trees, starting the years under them.

Mairon grew discontented. He kept suggesting ideas to prevent and repair the damages Melkor continuously inflicted, but he received no word, not even a refusal. Perhaps they did not refuse his ideas but refused him. The Valar seemed content to manage things in this mediocratic manner, anyone who thought better must be incorrect. Yes, Manwe best understood Illuvatar's vision, but he could at least share it with those intent on bring it to fruition. And the problems of the marring were not their direct fault, but Melkor's. If someone did not stop him then the World would weaken to nothing.

With a swing of his hammer, he forged his intentions. He would join Melkor's forces, climb the ranks, become his most trusted second and advisor, rein in his insanity and heal the World. First, he needed the Dark Lord's trust, hence his actions in the Years of the Trees and the First Age. Despite joining Melkor's side, Mairon would never forgive him for Arda Marred.

As Castellan of Angband he developed his skills in architecture, people management, languages, economics, biology, agriculture, politics. All this to salvage the World, and the Valar and Illuvatar's Children were causing as much damage as they tried to prevent. Life, it could so often get in the way, just like with Melian's daughter and her Mannish lover, who's line would become a constant thorn in his side.

If only Illuvatar had bestowed them with the ability to understand his motives, and the Elves call themselves the wisest of all the Free People, they after all named him Sauron, simply be making a play on words of his original name, not all too clever for a so-called "wise people". And if Men proved half as wise and twice as vain, then he would do his best to keep them from interfering, for their own good for they would inherit the World, and Mairon wanted it as unmarred as possible for them.

In the War of Wrath, he endeavoured to prevent as much damage as possible, indeed, he believed Lindon and the Blue Mountains would have fallen into the sea if he did not try. More of East Beleriand would have survived if not for Tiraina and Eonwe's intervention. When he saw Tiraina skilfully and methodically pummelling her way through his forces. Mairon remember her as a friend, but looking upon her now, especially as her blindfold got torn off by an Orc blade, he gazed into her eyes, shining like smoky topaz crystals, how correct she looked in his mind. His own distracted state led to his capture, surrender and plea forgiveness.

Then when Eonwe told him the Valar would judge him. He knew he could not go to them. They would rid him from Creation like they did Melkor. There would be no going back. Alone if need be, he would unite the people of Middle-earth and mend the World.

The Ring of Power did not intend to completely control their wearers, just guide them toward bettering the World. The Elves betrayed him by stealing his designs and making three inferior rings of their own which failed to give them his wisdom before they removed and hid their Elven Rings. As such, Mairon to other means. He hated being referred by his abhorrent nickname, either in speech or in writing form, he would prefer to be nameless then called by such immature slander.

The Dwarves were the creation of his former master Aule, knowing his old master's temperament and traits the Dwarves would no doubt take to the seven rings he bestowed to them quickly. The rings did affect them, but not in the manner Mairon hoped for, instead of making them wiser to the problems of the World, they became greedier and in amassing hordes large enough to fill mountains, attracted dragons and doomed them to a diaspora.

Reluctantly, he turned to the realms of Men. He gave three rings to lords of Numenor with a separate goal in mind. The line of Beren and Luthien lived in the line of the Numenorean Kings, they would always oppose him, intent on keep the World stagnant and corrupted, neutral to the true plight of the World. And they commanded and inspired the race of High Men, those who would never fall into line and help in the healing, believe this Sauron to yet be a servant of Melkor and a destructive force in Middle-earth. With them out of the way, Mairon could begin healing the World.

He chose the nine wearers of the final lesser rings for good reasons, they all commanded great powers and vast numbers of loyal subjects with the skills Mairon required, but they would also benefit from Mairon intelligence, philosophers kings, would-be sorcerers and mighty warriors with thirsts for knowledge and the ability to better their own realms and the race of Men as a while. Unfortunately, their desires to still alive a little bit longer so they could finish their studies, which inevitably stretched out to the length of an age. Their mortal bodies could not withstand unnatural long life, nor could their minds and wills, losing them completely and becoming enslaved. Mairon felt guilty for turning these Men of great prospect into his Ringwraiths, but he became determined to put them to good use.

A greater and more immediate obstacle remained closer to Mordor than Numenor. Since the Elves refused to be a part of his vision, he knew he would need to remove them from Middle-earth. He first asked for the return of their rings, for being based on his designs, by right they were his. The Elves refused and with no other way to claim those Elven Rings Mairon knew he need to go to war, for those three rings together could contribute to his downfall and the continuation of the corruption, he saw all around him.

However, Numeror became a more immediate threat than he previously anticipated. They entered the war and soundly defeated his forces. But he saw within their ranks, impersonable individual, perhaps people of those three ringed lords who subconsciously perceived Mairon's goals. Maybe these High Men could be convinced after all. He recovered his loses from his war with the Elves and with his Nazgul beside him proclaimed himself Lord of the Earth and King of Men. This offended the arrogant Numenoreans, they attacked the defeated Mordor and took Mairon hostage after he surrendered. The King, Ar-Pharazon proved quite amenable towards him and took him on as a top advisor. With this he started explaining his intentions to heal the World, but it seemed Men proved quite absent minded, for they started worshipping Melkor, for the return of the first Dark Lord would begin Dagor Dagorath, and in the Second Music of the Ainur to follow, they would sing of a desire from immortality. Mairon found himself forced into the position of High Priest of the Cult of Melkor. The Black Numenoreans, as they became known even cut down the White Tree of Numenor, a descendent of the Tree of Tirion, raised by Lady Yavanna in the image of the White Tree of Valinor, which Melkor destroyed.

Seeing this destruction, and greed for immortality above a determination to heal the World, Mairon released Men could not serve him as he hoped, for if the so-called High Men could be brought so low through the simple statements he made, then what would the the use of Middle Men and the Men of Darkness, as the Numenoreans called those Melkor took under his sway. In trying to get the Might of the West to heal, he ended up marring them. Regretfully, he knew they needed to be ended before they sailed to Middle-earth and further ruined it. But hopefully, this would indeed end the line of Beren and Luthien, for he carried old wounds from his encounter with them in the First Age. But he knew his actions would have consequences, they always did.

The maddened Ar-Pharazon proved easy to persuade. Instead of going eastward, Mairon turned their attention to the Uttermost West. To rebel against the Valar and attack Valinor itself, claiming they would gain immortality. Eru, the supreme god, then directly intervened: Numenor drowned under the sea, and the great navy of Numenor was destroyed.

The drowning weakened Mairon so much he lost his physical form. His spirit and the One Ring returned to Mordor where he could reassume a physical form, but the black engulfing water stripped him of his shapeshifting powers, leaving him in an unfair form brought forth by his actions.

During his time recovering he learned a fair minority of Numenoreans, led by kin of their kings, who remained stubborn against the faults Melkor wrought, for none of them lived who remember it, escaped to Middle-earth and founded the Realms-in-exile, Arnor in much of the northwest region known as Eriador, and Gondor in the south.

He planned his war against them and factored in the possibility of the Elves joining in with these Men of the West. The War of the Last Alliance raged for twelve years, ending with the Siege of Barad-dur, where he killed both the High-Kings of the Men and Elves, but Isildur, son of High-King Elendil cut the One Ring from his hand. Without it, his physical form fell apart and Mairon once more became weakened, for he put too much of his power and will into the Master Ring.

However, like before, his spirit endured, as the Ring survived. Isildur desired the Ring for some reason, but when he and his entourage were attacked by Orcs, Isildur tried to escape via a river. The Ring, having developed a will and mind of its own, betrayed Isildur to his death. And things that should not have been forgotten, were lost.

And thus, the Third Age of the World began. Mairon spent the first thousand years simply regain his strength becoming visible as a spirit and able to converse with his minions to coordinate the plans he formed in his waiting. He took as his hiding place the Greenwood, which his minion and those subversive to the side of Illuvatar, slowly turned it into the Mirkwood. He built a new fortress there called Dol Guldur. While the leader of the Nazgul created a nation to rival Arnor, becoming forever known as the Witch-King of Angmar, this led the so-called White Council formed to oppose him and try to keep Middle-earth stagnant, to believe the so-called Necromancer of Dol Guldur was another Nazgul.

Olorin, his pitiful brother, with the help of Aiwendil, the simple student of Yavanna, discovered the truth. But the White Council in their wisdom did not act for another ninety years, in which Mairon furthered his plans and he prepared Mordor for his return, for with the fall of Arnor and the weakening of Gondor as the Dunedain forsook the so-called wisdom of their ancestors, followed by the end of the line of kings with no known heirs, the Free People, he believed, could not withstand another war. But still, he needed the One Ring to make it a certainty.

As too, rumours in Eriador continued to talk. Chieftains of the Dunedain, heirs to the throne of Arnor, and as distant kin to the Kings of Gondor through Elendil, they could claim Gondor too. After Arnor fell, its people became the Rangers of the North, a secretive and allusive group, who perhaps preserved their ancestor's mentality, but somehow just smart enough to keep outside of Mairon's detection. The Rangers could be dealt much in the same way his Nazgul did with Arnor, their Chieftains on the other hand, yet more scions of Beren and Luthien, the ever-persistent bloodline who would inspire compliancy in the minds of Men. He sent force after force to end the line, but the rumours kept coming.

Sixty years he waited in Mordor continuing to mediate and to gather energy, slow going, and unbelievably painstaking to reconstitute a physical form without his ring. Even then, he could not leave Barad-dur. But finally, he found a lead on the Master Ring.

It waited too. First on the riverbed of the Anduin for two-and-a-half-thousand years, before ensnaring a new bearer, a Hobbit, one of a people related to Men, named Smeagol, after killing his cousin first to claim it. Smeagol, desiring nothing but the Ring took it deep within the Misty Mountains and deep in a cave it poisoned his mind and grant him unnatural long life, but curiously, this Hobbit did not become a Wraith, but a gaunt and unpleasant creature. The poisoning of his mind made Smeagol forget his name, and adopted his nickname of Gollum, given to him for gurgling sound from his throat.

And for five-hundred more years, the Ring waited in the shadows of Gollum's cave. When it heard from the goblins of the mountain about a Shadow in Mirkwood, a Necromancer, the Ring knew at once, its time arrived. It abandoned Gollum, much like it did Isildur. But instead of being found by a goblin or a Mountain Orc perhaps, another Hobbit found it. Bilbo Baggins of the Shire. So again, it waited for another sixty-years, the very same years its master waited in Mordor, until Bilbo planned his retirement to Imladris, and passed it to his cousin and heir, Frodo.

Olorin as it happened found friendship with the Hobbits and the Bagginses in particular. And so right under his noise, he discovered the One Ring, and knew forthwith what must be done. He sent Frodo and his friends to Imladris to attend a meeting of the Free Peoples.

At this meeting the Fellowship of the Ring assembled, with the goal to secretly transport the One Ring to Mordor and cast it into the fires of Mount Doom, for the fires which created it could also destroy it.

Curumo still desiring the Ring, impeded their progress. The encountering of a Balrog in the ancient Dwarven Kingdom of Moria led to the death of Gandalf the Grey, and subsequently, the breaking of the Fellowship.

Even within Mordor, Mairon could feel the shift of reality when Illuvatar acted. The One revived Olorin and sent him back to Middle-earth, as the new head of the Wizards, Gandalf the White. With his power and guidance, he kept Curumo from controlling the Kingdom of Rohan, an ally of Gondor and kept Gondor itself from falling into despair.

Although Mairon lost the Battle of Pelennor Fields, which kept Gondor standing, the free forces of the West were greatly weakened, including the death of the King of Rohan and the Steward of Gondor, and he still possessed enough armies in reserve to ensure military victory.

Meanwhile, word reached him of two Hobbits in Mordor, Frodo Baggins and his servant, but they could not find the One Ring, so perhaps Olorin sent them as an internal distraction while he formed a plan to stop Mairon's own plans.

Then a vision appeared in his Palantir, the Ithil-stone, through Curumo's, the Orthanc-stone. A man, with a familiar face, and a very familiar sword. The young Chieftain of the Dunedain revealed himself and claimed his kingship. Though the rightful master of the Palantir, due to his unmastered gaze into it Mairon secretly delved into his mind, this Aragon the Strider remained unwed and childless. The arrogance of a costly victory made this youth believe he could win, the only way he could, would be if he bore the Master Ring. So, in one fell swoop Mairon could end this obstructionist family of Men and reclaim his Ring before it caused anymore destruction and corruption when removed from his personage.

The Strider, aside Olorin and his allies, rode to the Black Gate, with an army less than six-thousand strong, whereas Mordor and its vassal forces outnumbered the Free People's by a multitude of ten. Even with the One Ring, this new High King would not win. For to one of the Race of Men, the increase of power the Ring bestowed on them would be minimal due to their mortality and quick weakening of their hearts and spirits.

Mairon sent his servant, a Black Numenorean of the southern lands of Middle-earth, and especially Umbar, to offer terms to the West; the disbanding of the armies of the West, an oath to never take up arms, the rebuilding of Isengard, and the turning over of all lands West to Mordor. If not, he would torture the Hobbits. Of course, Mairon did not mean it, he never tortured without reason, and too, his forces were yet to capture those two insignificant Hobbits.

He knew the forces of the West would never agree, but Mairon needed to appear gracious and merciful after his assured victory.

Amid the ragging battle, Mairon felt a shift. Someone put the One Ring on, inside Mordor, and Mount Doom specifically. The Hobbits still carried the Ring, and this battle amounted to nothing more than a distraction, and underhanded move, unbecoming of a Maia and a High King. Mairon ordered the Nazgul to withdraw from the fight and capture the Hobbits before they used it to disappear. The sudden alteration of his plan caused a delay in the battle, but it did not matter now.

Then he felt the Ring leave existence. Somehow, the Hobbits did indeed cast it into the fires and destroyed it. Without his connection to the Ring and the power he stored within it, a hole in his being burst open. The physical form he carefully refined collapsed, along with Barad-dur and much of Mordor.

The winds of Manwe caught him and carried him to Valinor. He let it take him, for now in such a weaken state, he knew he lost. He would never heal the World, as the Black Numeroreans believed, now only the Second Music could do so.

* * *

Tiraina's mind cleared of the visions as Sauron, Mairon, paused his thought commune, the disheartened prisoner spoke with bitterness. "All these deeds I have done, while you have done nothing since the end of the First Age,"

King Manwe spoke in response, "The Children need to learn by themselves, we first guided them, then we let them go, so that they may someday return to us and to Illuvatar of their own choice,"

Lord Mandos added, "And as for why we did not search for you after you fled Eonwe, we wish not to inflict further damage upon Middle-earth as we did to Beleriand. For even if we under Eru had the power to return to Middle-earth and cast out Morgoth from the Kingdom of Arda, we could not destroy all the evil that he had sown, nor seek out all his servants—unless we ravaged the whole of the Kingdom and made an end of all life therein; and that we may not do."

"And it was that notion, that I was still a servant of Melkor that made me flee from Eonwe, in the direct aftermath I would be trialled as guilty until proven innocent, and in the eyes of all, I would never be innocent,"

Tulkas broke his silence now, "Yet you have already pleaded guilty,"

"True," Sauron admitted. "I am guilty of countless atrocities, just as you are guilty of failing to use your great powers to help those in need and improve the World,"

Lady Yavanna enquired, "Is your plea both that it was for the greater good and that the ends justify the mean?"

"This is not a plea, my Lady," Sauron replied testily, "It is merely an explanation,"

Lord Mandos first turned to his wife, Lady Vaire the Weaver hurried in weaving a tapestry based on Sauron's testimony as part of the record of the trial. See her otherwise engaged the Doomsman turned to the King, a silent word passed between them before Manwe asked, "Is that all you have to say?"

Sauron looked up quickly, no doubt in shock and indigently asked them, "Well, isn't it enough?"

Lord Mandos replied, "Your defence has been heard and will be carefully considered, but you have raised difficult issues. We require time to think about them. You will be recalled when we have made our decision,"

Sauron sighed, his posture deflated, and his head became slow low Tiraina wondered if it may be touching the floor. "All right, I have one last piece of evidence. Unlike my explanation, where my memories have been influenced by later thought and biases brought forth by my perspective, there is one blocked off to me, whether by my own making or by another I cannot recall, while I cannot release, I am certain the great Valar can,"

King Manwe glanced at his associates. They all looked confused. Lord Mandos nodded. The King turned but to Mairon and gently arose his powers. Mairon shifted, his body constricted. Then he screamed, a high shrill tone of utter agony.

As he fell to the ground flat, convulsing violently as to almost drag Tiraina to the floor, the hidden memories bombarded thought commune.

* * *

Mairon knelt with his head low. He only just recovered from the fight with Huan, the wounds now littered with scabs which threatened to shift and tear at the first hint of movement.

A drumming of armoured fingers sounded like the booming of thunder in the silence of the great hall in Angband. His master sat on the throne, one Mairon himself sat upon in the past age. Lord Melkor held his silence for a truly uncomfortable length of time.

Finally, he spoke, "You capture the Man Beren, along with the Elven King Finrod, and yet you let the Elven King die and the Man live,"

Mairon nodded. "I was unable to identify them, Master. It was until the Elf-maid, Luthien, daughter of Melian arrived that I released the Man with Beren, son of Barahir, and that the Elf among his Elven companions could he been Finrod of Nargothrond, there I knew my mistake. But I though the daughter of a Maia, and another Elven King could make up for it. As well, the hound Huan accompanied her, I knew of his doom and thought I would be its instigator,"

"Well, you thought wrong. In doing so, you lost us the stronghold of the isle, a necessary foothold, and let the pair escape. If you thought more cautiously and more intelligently, then what they dared against me would not have happened,"

Mairon knew this all too well.

When the summons came the messenger informed him of the consequences of this error. The couple came to Angband. Luthien offered to sing and dance for the Dark Lord, who allowed it. Her sung cast a powerful spell of sleep upon all the dark forces of the court, including upon the Fallen Vala himself. Beren then managed to pry one of the Silmarils from the Iron Crown of the Great Enemy. He tried for a second, and no doubt all three, but as he began to cut the next of the jewels loose, his knife snapped. The blade cut Lord Melkor on the cheek and stirred him.

In the ensuing escape, Carcharoth, the greatest Werewolf of Angband ambushed the couple. Beren tried to ward him off with the Primeval Light within the jewel, however Carcharoth managed to bite the Man's hand off, inadvertently swallowing the Silmaril. The power of the jewel burned the wolf's innards, and caught in excruciating pain, Carcharoth fled. In his madness he passed through the Girdle of Melian into Doriath, enemy territory, and no doubt to be eventually found, killed and the Silmaril retrieved by the Elves.

And to be fair, Mairon knew he should be given part of the blame. But what about those guards who brought them directly to Lord Melkor? And, according to those of his associates who he managed to talk with before being called forward, Lord Melkor appeared to be greatly pleased with the appearance of Luthien, indeed those closest said he gazed upon her with desire, thus he allowed the dance for, reasons.

But, Melkor, being the Master, the most powerful being in all Creation, he could not be fallible and make a mistake. So, he would put the blame on someone else. And Mairon seemed as suitable as any other.

"Look at me," his lord demanded. Mairon hesitantly gazed up. A gauntleted hand grabbed his throat, and much of his shoulder as with the Maiar who in their true fana stands twice as tall as the tallest Man or Elf, the Valar stand twice as tall as the tallest Maia. Mairon felt the metal scrape against his yet to heal wound. Without warring, the Dark Lord hurled his captive lieutenant into the arm of his throne. The air flew from his lungs. Blood escaped his body. He supressed his pain. Focused on keeping his fana in place.

"Good," Melkor said looked down at him. He eyes glowed, but they did not shine like starlight, they shone with a darkness fantastic, a darkness a flame it burned into Mairon's eyes. Bore into his mind. Dug into his very being.

Mairon could feel a scratching in his soul. The scratching grew, it became a burn sensation. Amid this, demonic pain, he glanced at the Balrogs standing guard. He understood now. Melkor wanted to corrupt and pervert his core concepts: Order, Refinement, Willpower. Melkor intended to tear Mairon's entire being apart and remake him thoroughly evil.

The Dark Lord could not make life of his own, he did not wield the Secret Fire, but he could corrupt and create ill-fated mockeries of creatures with fear. Orcs were born of corrupted Elves, though Mairon thought they could be refined further with in inclusion of Man biology into them, but just as with Aule, Melkor did not want Mairon's suggestions, only his obedience. Stone-trolls mocked the Ents. An while the Great Eagles did not have dear, as the creations of his brother Manwe, Lord Melkor could not resist making a Shadow of them.

The picking at his concepts made Mairon squirm. He focused his being; Order shall fight of the chaos Melkor would work. Refinement shall make him better than the Great Enemy could manage. Willpower shall resist the Fallen Vala.

"Retreat from my personage!" Mairon shouted. A force pushed Melkor back, his head banged against the back of his chair. The dark eyes narrowed into a scowl. The Dark Lord threw Mairon from him, causing the Terrible Dread to slide a good distance across the floor of the Great Hall of Angband. Stopping in a shaking heap of physical and spiritual pain. Though he did resist him, Mairon could feel pieces of himself damaged, missing and changed. O-d-, -meant, Will-.

"Remove that pathetic creature," he could just hear Melkor say. He felt himself lifted and carried out before he fell unconscious. As he did, Mairon considered his situation. Since he found himself unable to rein in Melkor's insanity, Mairon retracked his fealty to Melkor, he would achieve his goals by himself if need be. Now he would have a more personal reason beyond the greater good, in healing the world, he could heal himself.

He only hoped the Valar and his brethren would find it in themselves to forgive him someday.

* * *

The vision ended. Tiraina only now registered the tears running down her face and soaking her blindfold, and how the floor felt wet.

Silence filled the room. Broken by a voice, "Never did I, nor I expect anyone, imagine the depths of Melkor depravity descended so far. Banishment from the Timeless Void seems almost a light sentence in view of this," the voice belonged to Lord Irmo, master of visions and dreams, and Lord Mandos's younger brother.

With his words the gathered within the room started to regain momentum. Firstly, both Lady Nienna and Lady Este, Lord Irmo's wife, a healer of hurts and weariness got out of their chairs and rushed to the downed Maia, faint on the floor before them. Lady Nienna, tears roaring like waterfall down her face and flooding the room, placed Mairon's had on her lap. Este drew a healing brew, calling forth waters from the fountains of the Gardens of Lorien. She poured the concoction into a cup and slowly made Mairon drink it.

Mairon coughed. His body shook once again. His glanced upwards to Lady Nienna. "Please," he said. "I am not worthy of your tears," Nienna replied with a sad smile and rubbed her hand on his cheek. "I deem you worth, dear Mairon. For now, we know the truth. Before I merely mourned the loss of who you once were when you declared yourself to Melkor. But now, I cry because of what he has done to you,"

Lord Mandos stood up. "Mairon, you last piece of evidence has further complicated matters. Lord Manwe agrees it would be utterly inconsiderate to exile you to the Timeless Void, but you have still pleaded guilty of the charges brought by this court, as such you shall still be given a sentence. It is now a question of what it should be, a question which could take a further age to answer. A such, you shall be placed under house arrest within the Halls. Tiraina shall be your guard and Lady Este shall administer healing. Visitors shall be allowed, but only with my approval,"

Mairon looked up to Lady Este. "You could in fact heal me?" she sighed but nodded. "Not as quickly as the Second Music might do. It will likely take a few ages to do so,"

Manwe then commented, "If that is the case, then we cannot allow an unhealed Mairon to participate in the Second Music,"

"I myself would have suggest exclusion as part of my sentence," the damaged Maia admitted.

Lord Mandos nodded. "Very well, that shall serve as a first part of your sentence. Until you are healed, and a full sentence is determined I call this trial adjourned." He turned to Tiraina. "Escort the prisoner to Chamber Nine," he returned to the gathered. "Court is dismissed."

Tiraina helped Mairon to his feet. Unable to hold her emotions in check anymore, she gave him an embrace. He patted her back. "Thank you, my friend. The rest of my life begin now,"

To this Tiraina gave him a smile.

* * *

**After reading AustralianRanger012's _Óravassë_ and Arawndil's _Reforged: Tyranny is Magic_ I felt inspired to do a similar story.**

**I combined elements of both. Sauron is still a villain, but I like the idea in _Oravasse _of what Melkor could do.**

**And the trial scene, including a lot of the dialogue is lifted from Episode Ten of the Doctor Who story _The War Games_. It seemed similar enough to fit.**


End file.
